HeLp!!!

FatToFitDrey
FatToFitDrey Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been eating healthy, counting calories and exercising. I lost 8lbs immediately and then that stopped. For like 3 weeks or so. Now I just had lateral back surgery (like a few hours ago) the pain is crazy bad, can't move much and since I cannot excercise for a while I'm scared to gain back those 8 pounds or maybe more. What are some food besides the obvious sweets and such I should avoid??

Replies

  • kyrannosaurus
    kyrannosaurus Posts: 350 Member
    If you've just had surgery your body needs energy to heal. Eat at maintenance for now.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Ouch. I hope you feel better soon.

    There are no specific foods to avoid. As long as you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you won't gain back any fat that you've lost.
  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    I agree with kyrannosaurus. Give it until you've healed to some extent. Eat around maintenance till then.
  • FatToFitDrey
    FatToFitDrey Posts: 7 Member
    GreenIceFloes wrote: »
    I agree with kyrannosaurus. Eat around maintenance till then.
    what does that mean??

  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Go back to your goals and say you want to maintain your current weight. Your calories will be adjusted accordingly.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    If you aren't doing anything, your maintenance will be closer to BMR than TDEE calculators normally estimate it. So, I would suggest estimating your BMR and eating at that leave. Doing that, along with the additional energy your body will use to heal, you will probably lose some weight. But don't look to lose a lot of weight or you won't give your body the nutrients it needs for the healing process.
  • FatToFitDrey
    FatToFitDrey Posts: 7 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    As long as you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you won't gain back any fat that you've lost.
    I'm not burning any calories seeing though I use a walker, the nurse helps me stand and I can't do anything on my own :(

  • slp51
    slp51 Posts: 201 Member
    FatToFitDrey wrote: »
    GreenIceFloes wrote: »
    I agree with kyrannosaurus. Eat around maintenance till then.
    what does that mean??

    That means don't go into calorie deficit. Have MFP figure your calorie goals as if you were in maintenance mode, i.e., how many calories you need to stay at your current weight. Then eat that amount to give your body enough fuel to help you heal. Once released by your doctor to go back on a weight loss plan, then you can re-adjust your calorie intake to eat at a deficit. Make sense?

    And here's to a quick recovery!

  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    By the way, I'm recovering from foot surgery and was unable to exercise for a couple of months. I set my goal to lose half a pound a week and tried to stick to those calories, but had it in the back of my mind that I had an extra 250 calories I could eat while still staying in the maintenance range.

    I managed to lose weight while being mostly immobile. Get the calories right and you don't need exercise to lose weight.

    Hope the operation was a success and you recover well.
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    FatToFitDrey wrote: »
    seska422 wrote: »
    As long as you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you won't gain back any fat that you've lost.
    I'm not burning any calories seeing though I use a walker, the nurse helps me stand and I can't do anything on my own :(

    Your body still burns calories just to stay alive, infact a majority of the calories you burn are for that - exercise is a (generally) surprisingly small added bonus.
    Bmr is your basal metabolic rate - the amount your body needs to function. You can calculate it online, and then aim to meet it.
  • juleszephyr
    juleszephyr Posts: 442 Member
    kyrannosaurus wrote: »
    If you've just had surgery your body needs energy to heal. Eat at maintenance for now.

    This is really good advice. Set your calories to maintenance and give yourself some time to repair and recover.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    Whatever your TDEE is, eat that. Do not try to lose weight. Your body needs to prioritize healing, not fat loss. If you're still in the hospital, ask to speak with someone about your diet during recovery.
  • FatToFitDrey
    FatToFitDrey Posts: 7 Member
    Wow, this is all extremely great advice!! Thank you... I don't know acronyms or much of anything related to knowledgeable weight loss but thank you for breaking things down for me!! Greatly appreciated!!

  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    edited May 2015
    From http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1:
    BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The number of calories you burn at complete rest.
    EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of training, or training expenditure.
    NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): Caloric requirements of activity that is not planned exercise. Vacuuming, driving, brushing your teeth, for example.
    TEF/DIT (Thermic Effect of Feeding or Diet Induced Thermogenesis): Caloric expense of eating/digestion.
    TDEE: (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) = Sum of the above. BMR+EAT+NEAT+TEF

    Ideally, you should be eating at your BMR+TEF since you seem to be on partial bedrest. A commonly used estimate of TEF is about 10% of one's caloric intake, though the effect varies for different food components. You could, however, just eat at BMR (and no less) as has been mentioned before. You won't gain weight.
    Get well soon. :smile:

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